


Keep the Leash Loose

by UmbreonGurl



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Ahri Character Study 2: Electric Boogaloo, Alternate Universe - K/DA (League of Legends), F/F, Fluff, Pining, The KDA Story from Ahri's POV, no beta we die like your inting teammates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:02:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27763444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UmbreonGurl/pseuds/UmbreonGurl
Summary: Ahri has always hated being told what to do. She later comes to realize that her real issue was with who was doing the telling.OR: Ahri, from pre-KDA to POP/STARS to ALL OUT.
Relationships: Ahri/Kai'Sa (League of Legends), Akali/Evelynn (League of Legends)
Comments: 107
Kudos: 470





	1. Pop-Star Era

Some days, Ahri feels very much like a caveman, frozen in ice for thousands of years and then suddenly thrown back into the world face-first. Others, she feels like nothing has changed at all. No matter what, someone always seems to want a piece of her, be it literal or otherwise—a tail to use in a magical cure, a juicy headline to sell tomorrow morning’s papers, or something as simple as a photo for internet clout.

For a while, she’s fine with it. Dancing up on stage hooked up to someone else’s strings like a puppet isn’t fun, but Ahri had always justified it with the excuse that she needed to to build her career from the bottom up.

Charming her way to the top wouldn’t be fair—and it wouldn’t be worth it, either. There’s no reward to unearned gains, and despite what Evelynn says, it’s unfulfilling.

But then again, Ahri can’t say she finds this exactly fulfilling either. The songs are nice, don’t get her wrong, but they’re not _hers,_ written by someone else for an idol just as fake as the makeup she wears on her face and the sequins that line her outfit. They wear her name, but carry none of her spirit.

Ahri the pop star is alive in name and performance alone, disappearing like a ghost the moment she steps offstage. Ahri the everything else—the woman, the myth, the monster under the bed—she isn’t sure quite what to do with anymore.

In ancient times, people used to believe she’d burn down their entire village with one look. Now, it seems like people have all but forgotten. Some part of her wants to make them remember, to burn it into their memory with trails of blue fire, but the times where she could do such things as she pleased is long gone—with digital eyes around every corner and at every subway station, always watching, waiting, so much harder to fool.

And yet somehow even they believe in the farce, the pretty, cutesy little girl on all the magazine covers and TV shows, the harmless little dog that rolls over on command and does tricks for a pat on the head and a paycheck that’s probably far smaller than it arguably should be. Everyone does, except for one.

Evelynn is supportive, yes, but in that passive-aggressive bitchy sort of way she gets when she doesn’t fully approve of Ahri’s actions. From notes and flowers sent to her dressing room to snippy texts at three in the morning, Evelynn has made her opinion of this whole gig apparent from day one.

It’s one that doesn’t seem to have changed, either.

_Your new song is fabulous, dear,_ the latest message reads, _but it doesn’t feel you. It lacks soul._ _Looking forward to seeing what you do next—but truthfully, I want to see a little bit more fire in it._

It’d almost be sweet if it wasn’t sent attached to a funeral bouquet—lilies and carnations, sweet smelling and lightly colored—on embossed parchment neatly expressing _“sorry for your loss”_ in big, gold letters. Neither the note nor the bouquet is signed, but it’s immediately obvious who sent it. 

Ahri picks up her phone from the little shelf underneath the mirror and scrolls until she finds the contact she’s looking for. Clicking the call button and quickly switching it to speakerphone, Ahri takes her hat off with a sigh as it rings.

It takes two rings for the person on the other end of the like to pick up.

“Hey,” Ahri says, trying and probably failing to sound like she’s not currently on the verge of tears. “Are you free tonight?”

The response is near-instant. 

_“For you, darling? Anytime.”_

* * *

“I’m so tired, Eve.” The words slip out of Ahri’s mouth without even thinking about it, guard lowered away from all the prying eyes and flashing cameras. 

She’s Evelynn—she’s dangerous, but Ahri’s been around long enough to know that she won’t try anything here. (Nothing too crazy, at least. Eve knows Ahri’s limits—when and how to push them and when and how to push past them—and now is not one of those times.)

Evelynn takes a sip of her wine, red, vintage, and probably a Merlot, if Ahri had to guess. She hadn’t really been paying attention when Evelynn had ordered, so she can’t say for sure—but it’s definitely something expensive.

“Yes, that’s quite obvious.” Evelynn sets her glass down and brings a hand up to point towards her eyes. “You missed a spot of eyeliner when you cleaned yourself up, dear.”

A glance at her reflection in her silverware tells Ahri that Evelynn’s right. A small, tiny streak of it still runs down her lower eyelid. It’s not enough for most people to notice, but Evelynn’s attention to detail has always been second to none.

Evelynn raises an eyebrow. “Crying isn’t like you.”

“Shut it,” Ahri hisses back, but the words don’t quite come out with the bite she had intended, soft and exhausted. “It’s been a long day.”

Evelynn, to her credit, doesn’t push it further, but golden eyes make sure to watch Ahri’s every move closely through the curve of a swirling wine glass. It somehow makes the chair Ahri is sitting in feel like it has a cushion made of nails.

“I don’t think I can take much more of this,” Ahri says, running her hands through her hair—still crusty from old hairspray. 

Evelynn’s response is short and to the point. “Then don’t. Quit.”

Ahri sends Evelynn a glare. “You know I can’t do that.”

Another swirl of that stupid fucking booze. “Why not?”

“I leave now and I lose everything I’ve worked for—you know damn well _why not_ , Eve, don’t play games with me.” Ahri clenches her hands around the edge of the table. “I leave now and it was all for _nothing._ ”

“And what do you get out of it if you stay?” Evelynn asks, before pausing for another small, dainty sip of wine. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re masochistic, gumiho. A career built around a persona you hate? Is that truly what you want for yourself?”

“...No,” Ahri eventually admits, after an uncomfortable silence.

“You’re miserable,” Evelynn says, cutting straight to the point. “The fire I saw in you when we met is all but running on fumes, darling—you’re smothering it. It’d be a shame to let it die out.”

Ahri raises a hand in the air and lazily lets a small flicker of blue fire dance along her fingertips, before looking towards Evelynn as if to say _you were saying?_

Evelynn purses her lips briefly before they curl into a small smile. “I did so miss the days when you had a bit more bite in you. Surprisingly, it seems there’s some fight left in you after all.”

“Of course there is,” Ahri takes a sip of her water, before it turns into a few embarrassingly large gulps. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was. “I’m still the same person I always have been.”

“Are you?” Evelynn sends a pointed glance towards a nearby TV. “Because the woman I see on that screen is not the same one who once flirted with death like it was nothing.”

Ahri follows her gaze towards the television to see a very familiar image: herself. She only has to watch it for a few seconds before she wants to tear her eyes away. It’s too cutesy, with too many hearts and too much pink and far too much good girl energy—and she can’t _stand_ it.

_I’m still me,_ Ahri wants to say, but the words never come. She can’t say them—they’re a lie. Evelynn is right, as much as she hates to admit it. That girl on TV is not her, it never has been and it never will be; no matter how hard she tries to force it.

There’s a bit of uncomfortable silence before Ahri manages to get any words out of her mouth. “You’re right,” she finally admits.

Evelynn smiles, and the way her eyes crinkle up so _smugly_ makes Ahri almost want to slap her. 

“Darling, I’m always right. You just never listen.”

“Prague,” Ahri replies, raising an eyebrow as if daring Evelynn to challenge the statement.

Evelynn hums. “Every good rule has its exceptions.”

Ahri laughs, a small, breathy chuckle, and the weight on her chest eases slightly for the first time in weeks.

* * *

Roy is quick to free up time in his schedule to meet when Ahri insists it’s urgent. Anything for a rising star, the darling of the stage.

As far as agents go, he’s one of the best. He’s encouraging and always willing to lend a hand, but he’s still so caught up in the rules and expectations that come with the music industry that Ahri knows their business relationship is about to come to a grinding halt.

Ditching this persona she’s built—or rather the one others have built her to be—means ditching him as well. It’s a loss, but one she’s prepared to make as she makes her way into his office, spine straight, tail freshly-brushed, makeup immaculate.

“I’m quitting,” she starts, as soon as she takes a seat.

Roy pauses to take in her words.

“But we have a contract with the agency,” he protests, as if some pile of paper is enough to keep her chained down. If enchanted iron and steel couldn’t do it, neither can legalese. 

“I’m aware,” she replies, tone cool, calm, channeling every bit of Evelynn’s energy she’d stolen over the years. “I’m breaking it.”

Ahri pulls out her checkbook, grabbing a pen from her purse—one of the ones she’d gotten from fundraisers during the single year she’d attended a high school on a whim. 

“You can’t just do that, the sheer amount of money that’d cost you is more than both of our salaries combined,” Roy says, worried—whether it be for himself or her she’s not quite sure. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

A scratch of pen across paper, a small tear, and a check is shoved into his hands.

“I’m fine. Better than I have been in a long time, actually.” Ahri shakes her head. “Don’t worry about the money, I have more than enough to cover it.” 

Thousands of times over, actually, if one were to count all the gold and jewels hidden away in caves in the mountains. What she had been paid for her recent work isn’t even a fraction of what she needs to do this, but being around for a while means her savings are quite large. 

“Tell them I’m done. Consider this my letter of resignation. Goodbye, Roy.”

Ahri shoves her checkbook back into her purse before getting up from her chair and turning to leave. On her way out, she pauses.

“For what it’s worth, you did your best. It’s not your fault,” she calls over her shoulder. “This just wasn’t the right fit for me, and I think it’s long past time for me to move on.” She turns and gives him a small smile. “I wish you the best in your future endeavors, and if you ever need a reference, feel free to give them my number. I don’t think this is the right place for you either, personally.”

The _click clack_ of her heels on the tile as she walks away echoes in her ears. Evelynn would be proud of that performance, Ahri thinks—maybe even enough to send some roses this time.

* * *

“I quit. Met with my agent and broke my contract the other day,” Ahri says, and Evelynn reaches over to the center console to turn down the music. Considering Pentakill is currently playing on the radio, that’s saying something. 

“I’m sorry, would you repeat that? For a moment there, I was pretty sure I heard you say you followed my advice and quit. My hearing isn’t quite what it used to be, Ahri, you’re going to have to speak up.”

She doesn’t look over from the road or make any sort of obvious tell, but Evelynn’s smugness all but _oozes_ off of her.

Ahri shakes her head. “You did, and you were right. There you go, rub it in, I’m not saying it again.” 

“Well then. Color me surprised.” Evelynn taps her fingers along the steering wheel. “I didn’t think you’d have the balls to go and actually do it—with the way you bent your back over for their little song and dance, I figured they’d had you neutered.”

“Of course not,” Ahri huffs. “I’m still the same person I always have been.”

“Are you now.” The way Evelynn says the words makes it clear she doesn’t believe it.

“The girl you saw on TV the other night wasn’t me and you know it.”

“Do I?” Evelynn reaches over and turns the music back up, not quite as loud as it was before, though. “I’m not so sure, the two of you looked quite similar.”

“That’s because she’s my sister.”

“Ah,” Evelynn nods her head slightly. “No wonder you looked similar, then, not the same. She got all the pretty genes.”

Ahri elbows Evelynn. “Rude.”

“I never claimed to be otherwise.” Evelynn huffs, because really, Ahri should know better by now.

“True,” Ahri muses, “you are many things, but a liar is not one of them, and you never said you were nice.”

Evelynn glances over when they hit a red light, glasses falling down over her nose. “Many people would claim otherwise on the liar part.” 

“I never said you don’t bend the truth.” Ahri glances out of the window. “You just don’t lie.”

“Most of the time,” Evelynn corrects.

“Most of the time,” Ahri echoes, and her back slams into the seat cushion when the light turns green and Evelynn slams her foot on the gas. 

“So,” Evelynn asks, not at all phased by the sudden shift in speed. “What are you going to do now?”

A deep breath. “I don’t know. Honestly—I have absolutely no idea.”

“You’ve got time,” Evelynn says, confident and sure. “You’ll figure it out.”

“I will,” Ahri agrees. “Somehow. Eventually.”

“You will.” Evelynn pushes her glasses back up on her nose with one hand. “And if you can’t, you know who to call.”

* * *

“I want to start a group,” Ahri says, as she puts her phone on speaker and sets it on the coffee table, “and I want you in it with me.”

There’s a laugh, and when it’s not returned, the other end of the line goes silent.

_“You’re serious,”_ Evelynn says, eventually. There’s a clunk in the background from what Ahri assumes is Evelynn setting a tool aside.

“Yes,” Ahri says, popping a chip into her mouth—some weird sour cream and onion wavy thing she had bought at the convenience store a few hours ago. She grabs the remote and turns the TV down. (The plot of the show that’s currently playing is predictable anyways, so she won’t be missing much.) “Completely.”

_“Why now?”_

Ahri shrugs. “Why not?”

_“I could list plenty of reasons,”_ Evelynn replies, and Ahri would bet money that she’s doing that little scowly thing she does when she’s feeling bitchy. _“but I won’t.”_

“So you’ll do it, then?”

_“I didn’t say that.”_

Ahri grins. “That’s not a no.”

Evelynn sighs. _“Do you even know what you’re doing?”_

“Of course not,” Ahri says, popping another chip into her mouth. “I know a lot of it, but I figured I’d figure stuff out as I go on the parts I don’t—with a little help.”

_“And that help is me,”_ Evelynn finishes, unamused.

“And that help is you,” Ahri confirms. “And probably a lot of me using my connections,” she adds, as an afterthought.

_“It’ll be a lot of work,”_ Evelynn says, after a brief pause. _“And quite the gamble.”_

“You like gambling, don’t try to pull that shit. The money will all come from my stash anyways, not yours.” Ahri crunches on another chip.

Evelynn huffs, low and breathy. _“Darling, I meant it’d be a gamble for you. I’ve got a reputation. Having my name publicly associated with yours is a risk.”_

“I could say the same to you,” Ahri grumbles, shaking her head. “Apparently people in the industry don’t take too kindly to contract breakers. Besides, I know perfectly well half the things they say about you are bullshit.”

_“Only half?”_ Evelynn chuckles, and there’s another clank of metal.

“They were surprisingly accurate when calling you a demon, I’ll admit, but it wasn’t in the way that matters. Anyways—enough about you, back to my master plan. You in?”

_“It’ll be quite the project.”_ Evelynn’s tone is deceptively neutral.

Ahri cuts in. “I know. To go completely from the ground-up, we’re going to have to lay every bit of the foundation ourselves. But we’ll have full control. Equal pay— _fair_ pay—creative freedom, the works. I’m fine with working hard if rewarded properly.”

Despite herself, her tail thumps against the couch cushions.

“I want to do this, Eve. And I want you with me.” Ahri’s voice is firm, convictive. “You told me I wouldn’t be happy in a career built around a persona I hate, would you? Are _you_ truly happy sitting around writing songs for nobodies forever?”

_“I’ll do it,”_ Evelynn starts, after a pause. _“But I have some conditions.”_

“Name your price,” Ahri says with a grin, and puts the bag of chips aside.

* * *

Texts from Roy are rare, nowadays. 

They’re still friendly, but Ahri knows damn well that she definitely stepped on his toes a bit on her way out—it’s no wonder he’d want to keep his distance after that.

Ahri barely hears the notification over the whir of Evelynn’s power drill—and really only notices it when her phone buzzes against her thigh. 

_Word on the grapevine is you’ve got big plans and are looking for talent. Found this the other day, might want to act fast if you’re interested before someone else does. Choreography isn’t really my area of expertise, but it’s obvious to anyone with eyes that there’s something special here._

Attached is a link to a website of a dance studio. It’s small, a little hole in the wall joint that probably has the same fifteen people come in every Tuesday morning, but the woman in their promotional video is anything but—tall, big, and all but commanding the attention of any eyes nearby.

Ahri doesn’t find herself immune to her spell, watching nearly hypnotized as she moves across the floor like a mermaid through water—languid, graceful, _powerful,_ every movement both controlled and wild at the same time.

_“Come dance with Kai’Sa at the Firefly Collective,”_ reads the caption, and Ahri is hooked.

_Thanks,_ she texts back. _I’ll look into this. I appreciate the heads up._

The response is quick.

_If anyone, the person here to thank is you. You had a point—this place wasn’t the right fit for me either. I turned in my two-weeks notice yesterday. You still mean that thing you said about the reference?_

Ahri pauses at that.

“Why, what a surprise. It seems you inspired him. How cute.”

Evelynn’s presence behind her is startling, and it takes all of Ahri’s self-control not to jump at the face that is all of a sudden looking over her shoulder. She must have been too caught up in the video earlier to notice that Evelynn had stopped her work.

“Oi, don’t be nosy.” Ahri turns to look at her with a frown. 

“That’s like asking a fish to breathe air, dear,” Evelynn says, with a chuckle. “It’s simply not possible.”

Ahri pouts. “Well, at least have the decency to tell me what you think, then.”

Evelynn hums as she heads back over to her car—some jet black convertible Ahri doesn’t know the name of and doesn’t care to. 

“She’s good.”

“I want her,” Ahri declares. “We need her.” It’s just as much a request for approval as it is a statement of fact.

“If that’s what you want,” Evelynn says, neither approving nor disapproving. “I won’t say no.”

“Perfect.”

Ahri turns back to her phone.

_Definitely meant the thing about the reference—actually, do you have any plans for the future? I could use some help rounding some more folks up for promos and stuff—that was always your specialty._

The speech bubble with the three little dots lingers at the bottom of her screen for a while before she gets a response.

_That’d be great. I’d be honored to._


	2. POP/STARS Era

Kai’Sa fits into the group like a puzzle piece Ahri hadn’t known she was missing—one of those little ones near the middle you don’t know you need until it’s in your hands and waiting to be slotted into the spot that’s been open for it all along.

She’s everything Ahri would have jumped at were it a few hundred years ago—pretty, tall, and well-sculpted like one of those statues at the art museums Evelynn occasionally drags her to when she’s feeling nostalgic.

But she is also decidedly off-limits. 

Ahri’s long since learned the dangers of dating a coworker. She and Evelynn had tried it—and time after time after time, it didn’t work (or rather, it didn’t last.)

Oh, they had fun, alright—there was no shortage of trysts at parties and years of chasing each other around the world, but it wasn’t a dynamic that would work. That kind of excitement doesn’t last long term, and the appeal of nibbling on each other’s souls becomes far duller when done too often.

They’re still amicable, thank god, but it could have gone very differently were they not both very old, very tired, and far too busy for messy bullshit. They’ll probably end up giving things another go in a few thousand years or so—once they’ve moved on from the music industry to whatever else the future has to offer—but for now, they’re better off as friends.

With Evelynn, that’s something Ahri can say for sure. With Kai’Sa, it’s far more tempting to skirt that line, to dip her toes over the boundary she had set for herself. (Because it’s certainly not one set in their contracts—Ahri had made sure of that.) But she can’t. They don’t even have the bricks laid for this whole project yet, messes at this stage are simply something Ahri knows they can’t afford. 

(Kai’Sa is also very, _painfully_ human, and that’s a whole different can of beans Ahri doesn’t want to open right now.)

The worst part is that Ahri’s not even sure if Kai’Sa’s straight. If she was, it’d be so much easier to pretend that she isn’t positively her type, knowing that she’s _concretely_ off-limits. But there’s no mention of boyfriends—past _or_ present, and it very much leaves that door open, fortunately (or not so much, Ahri isn’t sure yet.)

Actually—scratch that—the worst part about the whole thing is that Evelynn can read her like an open book—not even a hard one like a textbook or something, it might as well be one of those ones children use to learn to read.

The smug glances from across the office desk, the little waves from across the dance studio, Ahri almost wants to claw Evelynn’s face off for it, but she won’t. She has just enough self-control not to, but not enough to keep herself from glaring her down.

Apparently her ire must be obvious, because Kai’Sa glances over, concerned. “Did she do something wrong?”

“Yes.” Ahri nods, sending a pointed glance over to the couch, where Evelynn is currently fully focused on whatever is on her laptop screen. “ _Someone_ can’t keep her nose out of my business, and it’s pissing me off.”

“Oh.” Kai’Sa doesn’t look like she knows how to respond, at first. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

 _Yes,_ Ahri wants to say, _you could stop looking at me like you’re some purple human version of Clifford the big red dog, for one,_ but she holds her tongue.

“Unfortunately, not really.” Ahri can practically feel Evelynn’s eyes on her as she says the words. “It’s just how she is.”

“Oh,” Kai’Sa says. “Okay.”

It’s not brought up again for the rest of practice, and later that night Ahri’s phone buzzes with a text from Evelynn.

_I’m right. Always am, and this isn’t a Prague._

Ahri leaves her on read.

* * *

Kai’Sa eats a lot. In fact, she’s easily able to rival Ahri or Evelynn in that department when she really gets into things, which is quite surprising. It’s one of the first of many warning signs that Kai’Sa might not be as human as Ahri had initially thought, but Ahri ignores them until she physically can’t anymore.

Ahri wakes to the sound of a crash, a loud, sudden crack of a dish hitting hardwood. She doesn’t even check the clock before springing out of bed to investigate.

She’s still half asleep when she makes her way into the kitchen, but the sight she’s met with when she gets there all but slaps her awake.

It’s dark, but there’s so much purple, glowing, pulsing, raw. Kai’Sa’s arms are positively covered in it, and it creeps its way up towards her neck as she sits on the floor and hugs herself. Shards of porcelain—the remains of what used to be a mug, if Ahri had to guess, line the floor. 

Ahri’s footsteps are light, but apparently not light enough, as Kai’Sa lifts her head up from her knees with wide eyes, freezing like a deer in headlights.

“Ahri,” she says, soft, quickly, panicked. “I can explain.”

Ahri doesn’t know what the hell Kai’Sa is, but it’s obvious from the… _cannons?_ that hover behind her shoulders that she’s definitely not fully human. (That confirmation inches Ahri’s feet closer to that line in the sand she had drawn for herself when they’d first met, but still they do not cross it. Not yet.)

Ahri squats down, gently picking up a few shards of the broken mug. “You don’t have to, if you don’t feel comfortable. I can help you get things cleaned up, go back upstairs, and pretend I never saw anything.”

Ahri doesn’t know how well she’d be able to actually hold that promise, but she knows better than to push someone who’s clearly nervous.

Kai’Sa takes a few deep breaths. “I want to,” she says. “We’ll be living together for the foreseeable future, if not now, you’d have found out at some point. I just…” A small shudder. “I need a minute, if that’s okay.”

“Of course that’s okay. Take all the time you need,” Ahri says. “I’ll go get this cleaned up, and then we can talk when you’re ready.”

Kai’Sa gives her a small, but hesitant smile. “Okay.”

Kai’Sa slowly makes her way to sit at the counter as Ahri sweeps things up, and by the time Ahri finishes throwing everything away, she seems to have calmed down a little, but still the purple lingers.

Ahri takes a seat next to Kai’Sa at the counter, and waits.

“I have… a _thing_ that lives off me. From the void. Fell in once as a kid and haven’t been the same since.” Kai’Sa pauses for a moment when Ahri doesn’t immediately respond. “I mean—sorry, I probably should have started by explaining what the void is—”

Ahri cuts in. “I’m familiar with it. You’re fine.” 

“Oh,” Kai’Sa says, clearly not expecting that answer. “I… um… get nightmares sometimes, and it acts without me even thinking about it.”

“That’s understandable,” Ahri says, with a small nod. “The void isn’t a nice place. Better safe than sorry.”

Kai’Sa looks over, surprised. “You’ve been there?”

“Once.”

They sit for a few moments in silence until Kai’Sa speaks up again.

“You’re not running.”

Ahri raises an eyebrow. “Why should I?”

“I’m a monster,” Kai’Sa says, and her expression is so painfully _raw_ , so vulnerable.

“So am I,” Ahri says. “And Evelynn, too. In comparison, you’re actually quite normal.”

“Oh,” Kai’Sa says. She falls quiet for a moment, before her tone lightens slightly. “I suppose I probably should have guessed by the ears and the tail, huh?”

Ahri grins. “Maybe just a little.”

And just like that, Ahri sticks one toe over the line—but nothing more. Anything more is far too risky.

* * *

They’ve got a good thing going for their first song, but there’s a section of it that just feels empty. No matter what they try to fill it with, it’s just never quite _right._

Ahri knows that they’re long overdue to find a fourth member, but what exactly they’re missing and what they need to look for she can’t put her finger on—that is, until she stumbles across a viral video by chance.

Rap. It’s a genre Ahri had never thought all that much about and it isn’t really her forte, but this chick practically breathes the beat, spitting bars like a dragon spits fire, confident, natural, as easy as breathing.

 _Akali_ , her bio says her name is.

It only takes two watch-throughs for Ahri to know she’s found their girl. Evelynn isn’t so sure.

“So?” Ahri asks.

“She’s... _something_ , alright,” Evelynn says, glancing up from Ahri’s phone with a raised eyebrow and pursed lips. “I don’t think this is particularly what we’re looking for, though.”

Evelynn flips the screen around to show what is very much _not_ the video Ahri had intended—although “BRAND’S INFERNAL SPICY RAMEN 5 BOWL CHALLENGE ANY% SPEEDRUN” is also quite the show.

“Oops,” Ahri says, snatching the phone out of Evelynn’s hands. “Wrong video. One second.”

A few scrolls, a tap, and the phone is quickly shoved back into Evelynn’s hands. 

“Leave the volume on this time,” Ahri scolds.

Ahri can’t stand still as she watches Evelynn’s face for a reaction, tail swishing back and forth. Evelynn, unfortunately, gives nothing away.

The video finishes and Evelynn still doesn’t react.

“Well?” Ahri asks, impatient. “Am I right, or am I right?”

Evelynn passes the phone back over and brings a hand to her chin. “It needs refinement.”

Ahri groans. “It’s called _freestyle_ for a reason, Eve, it’s not supposed to be refined. If that’s what she can pull off on the fly, think about what she could do with the proper tools and equipment and time.”

Holding the screen closer to her face for a moment, Ahri scrolls down. “And this is old, too. Let me find some more recent stuff.”

“Don’t bother,” Evelynn says, with a small shake of her head. “I’ve heard all I needed to.”

“And?” Ahri prods.

“I’ll reluctantly admit that you have a point.” Evelynn huffs. “Although we’d need to teach her proper social media etiquette, among other things.”

“I personally think it’s funny,” Ahri says.

“If you think gross is funny, then sure.” Evelynn crinkles up her nose in disgust. “People actually watch these… speedruns?”

“Are you kidding? Tons.” Ahri shrugs. “There’s apparently a whole category of the internet for it.”

At that, Evelynn looks baffled. “Why?”

“That, I do not know. They are kinda entertaining, though, I’ll admit.” Ahri scrolls through the list of videos before pausing. “Ooooh, lookie here, she followed it up with the ten bowl challenge!”

Evelynn frowns. “I’m not watching that.”

“You sure? Says here she holds the world record.” 

Ahri almost wants to laugh at how grossed-out Evelynn turns at the suggestion.

“I’m sure.” Evelynn waves her hand dismissively. “Now get out of my garage, you’re stinking up the place.”

* * *

Akali is a lot shorter in person than she had seemed on screen, but her attitude is no less large. It’s something that’s immediately obvious when she starts back-talking Evelynn barely a few minutes after they meet.

Evelynn is honestly so taken-aback by it that it’s absolutely priceless to watch—Ahri hasn’t seen her this flustered since when they had first met. It’s subtle, all slight movements of her face and little sighs and disapproving clicks of her tongue, but it’s entirely obvious to anyone who knows her well that Evelynn is curious. It’s honestly refreshing, to say the least, watching her get a healthy dose of her own medicine, but in a lot less prissy of a package.

Akali is very much a free spirit, and Ahri is entirely glad that she had picked her up before anyone else did. She knows from experience that Akali would have suffocated anywhere else—the music industry is _not_ kind to creativity. 

Akali’s witty, quick with her words and quicker with her hands when she really gets into it. It’s this wild sort of energy that she brings to the table that truly rounds everything off, all while being entirely human. (This time, Ahri checks. She’s not falling for the same trap twice. Fool her once, shame on you. Fool her twice, shame on her.)

The one thing Akali’s not good at is dancing. Like—at all. Kai’Sa spends a lot of late nights trying to fix it, and something about that sends Ahri’s stomach twisting. She shows up to the studio too, sometimes, insisting that she needs to practice herself. If she ends up tripping a few times accidentally on moves she had perfected weeks earlier, that’s nobody’s business.

Kai’Sa doesn’t buy it, unfortunately, cornering her one night after Akali taps out.

“Hey. Are you okay?” She asks, placing a hand on Ahri’s shoulder and looking at her with those stupid puppy-dog eyes through the mirror. “You seem a bit off, recently.”

Ahri meets Kai’Sa’s gaze. “Fine,” she says, trying and failing to sound convincing as she shrugs the hand off of her shoulder. “Just peachy.”

Kai’Sa purses her lips slightly, clearly not believing it. Damn her for having the emotional sensitivity of a labrador retriever.

“You had everything perfect a week ago,” she points out. 

Ahri turns around and rests her weight on the bars hooked up to the wall. 

“I’ve been stressed out a bit with the new clothing line. It must have messed with my muscle memory.” She shrugs. “You know how it is.”

“I can’t say I do,” Kai’Sa replies, blunt and on-the-nose.

 _Of course you don’t know, because you’re the one fucking causing this issue and you’re not even aware of it,_ Ahri wants to scream, wants to howl up into the sky like a wolf to the moon. _Do you realize how badly you tempt me into breaking every rule I’ve ever set for myself?_

“It’s fine, okay? I’m fine.” The words come out sharper than she had meant them to be. “I just need more practice.”

Kai’Sa takes it as a sign to stop pushing.

“If you insist. The studio’s always open for you when you need it,” she says, with a small smile. “And if you ever need someone to lend an ear, mine are open too.”

“Thanks, Kai. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kai’Sa pauses, and Ahri realizes her mistake.

“I mean—sorry, I should have asked first. Is it okay if I call you “Kai”? I totally get it if you’re not okay with it, I sprung it on you kinda out of the blue and—”

Kai’Sa cuts her off. “It’s fine. I like it.”

“Oh.” Ahri lets out the breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. “Cool. Kai it is, then.”

“Kai it is,” Kai’Sa echoes, and her smile is so bright it could melt a glacier. “It has a nice ring to it.”

“Yeah,” Ahri agrees. “It does.”

* * *

Filming takes _forever._ From blocking out the road for Evelynn and Kai’Sa, to getting an entire subway car for Akali (or two, actually, since they ended up trashing one of them), to getting the Laundromat to be willing to close their doors for a few days—it is a process, but a worthwhile one, Ahri thinks.

It doesn’t come without it’s bumps in the road—quite literally, in Evelynn’s case, considering nobody had known about the huge pothole—but they manage to get things done and off to editing relatively smoothly.

Ahri is tired. It’s different, though, than how she had been before—that sort of bone-deep exhaustion you get after finishing a marathon instead of the slow chip-away of burnout. Her feet ache from the heels and her ears ring after hearing the same chorus on blast what feels like a million times, but Ahri can concretely say that she’s the happiest she’s been in years.

It hasn't been released yet, but everyone knows POP/STARS is going to be a smashing success. How could it not be, with four of the best on the job? 

They celebrate the night after filming with shitty fast food and cheap booze. Evelynn turns her nose up at the latter, but even she smiles as she raises her glass in the air.

“To us,” she says.

“To us,” comes the echo, followed by cheers and laughs and clinking glasses.

It only takes about two bottles for Akali to start to feel the alcohol, and by the third, Evelynn has to drag her to bed before she passes out on the floor. For someone who talks so big, she really is quite the lightweight.

It only becomes obvious just how much Akali runs her mouth at how quiet the room becomes without her. The silence is broken, surprisingly enough, when Kai’Sa opens her fourth cider.

“You know,” she says, “my ex used to love these.”

It’s so out of nowhere Ahri almost chokes.

“Oops. Should I have bought something else?”

Kai’sa shakes her head. “Nah. I’m over it, and even if I wasn’t, I love these too.” A smile. “You even got my favorite flavor.”

Ahri raises her drink in the air. “Of course. Anything for my girls.”

Taking another sip of cider, liquid courage loosens Ahri’s lips. “Feel free to tell me off if I’m prying too much, but what happened? I’m curious.”

_Please say your ex is a girl. Please say your ex is a girl. Please say your ex is a girl._

“Don't worry about it, you’re fair to be curious. I wouldn’t have brought it up if I was that against talking about it.” Kai’Sa takes a sip of her own drink, either oblivious to the flirting or ignoring it. “She saw my little friend and ran off.” She shrugs. “You know, the usual.”

At that, all of Ahri’s thoughts disappear but two. One: no wonder Kai’Sa was so worried about people running, and two: Kai’Sa is decidedly _not_ straight.

Ahri isn’t quite sure what to do with this information, but despite herself, slowly, hesitantly, she puts one foot over the line.

“A shame. She didn’t know what she’s missing out on.”

She doesn’t know if it’s the booze making her see things, but Ahri swears she sees Kai’Sa smile in response.

“I guess not,” Kai’Sa replies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone ask for some gay pining? Ahri is gay and so am I and I am GRGRGRRGGRGRGR going feral the more content I am fed of her. I now return to studying for exams and I'm not sorry!!! (I am sorry if there's any typos I had to multitask as I edited this but as for the actual content not sorry at all, sorry they don't kiss yet I know.)


	3. Inbetween Era

Evelynn and Akali start dating shortly after POP/STARS drops. It’s less of a formal announcement and moreso that they start calling each other “girlfriend” over the kitchen table during the rare times they manage a sit-down dinner. The news isn’t exactly something unexpected (Ahri’s pretty sure she had accidentally interrupted them in the act a few times), but it’s still exciting nonetheless.

Add that onto the high that is POP/STARS being a bigger success than anyone could have ever imagined, and it’s a recipe for a great mood. Or it would be, at least, if success didn’t bring with it a whole slew of new (but familiar) challenges. Appearances at talk shows, live performances, interviews, if Ahri had thought her schedule was packed before, it paled in comparison to what it is now. 

Ahri’s typical day currently looks a little something like this: 

First, she wakes up ungodly early like some sort of crazy person. Then, she checks her email and responds to as many of them as she possibly can over a cup of coffee that isn’t even close to being strong enough. As soon as the coffee’s gone, she’s either off to her office to manage something with the Charmed product line or on the phone dealing with the logistics of interviews and performances. And this repeats—again and again and again, with small spatterings of going out for said promotional appearances, until the moment Ahri drops into the blissful embrace of her mattress once more and the cycle starts anew.

It’s a lot, even for someone with experience, and if not for Evelynn helping to share the burden, Ahri isn’t sure she’d be able to keep up.

Akali’s too inexperienced to manage a lot of the gruntwork, and god knows Ahri wants to do just about anything but talk to Kai’Sa for more than five minutes at a time. (Anything more than that and she risks running her mouth—and that in itself risks _everything,_ so it simply isn’t an option.) Ahri can handle it, smile pretty for the camera and be the public face of things.

She had done it before, and she’ll do it again—only this time, she’s the one controlling where she goes when, when she gets her hair done and what style she wants. K/DA is her empire, and every bit of how it runs requires careful attention. At least, that’s the excuse she uses when she forgets to eat lunch in favor of finishing some errands, stays up late probably far more than she should, and rarely leaves her office.

It’s one that apparently doesn’t hold up, as Kai’Sa busts into her office, a woman on a mission.

“You need to take better care of yourself,” she orders, setting down a plate of chicken so beautiful Ahri could almost cry at the sight of it.

“I am taking care of myself,” Ahri counters, “just… everything else as well.”

“You’re not.” Kai’Sa watches with stern eyes as Ahri takes a few bites. “You’re taking care of just about everything _but_ yourself.”

“I’m okay.” Ahri shakes her head and tries to change the subject. “I appreciate the food, though. This is really good, is it a new recipe?”

At that, Kai’Sa perks up slightly and her eyes soften, but not entirely—it’s clear she’s not willing to drop the topic completely. “Yeah, actually. Do you like it?”

“Like it?” Ahri raises an eyebrow. “Kai’Sa, I love it. The lemon or whatever citrusy thing you put in the sauce really brings out the flavor. I could eat this every day.”

“Good,” Kai’Sa says, nodding to herself, “because if you don’t feed yourself, you will be.”

Ahri really can’t argue with that. (If she happens to accidentally forget to eat lunch a few times more than normal in the following weeks, that’s completely unrelated.)

* * *

MarioKart, apparently, is a surefire way to bring out the worst in people, Ahri finds—especially Akali. She always seems to get especially nosy when gaming.

“So,” Akali asks, over Wario’s Gold Mine, “you ever gonna ask Kai’Sa out, or nah?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ahri replies, glancing up from her phone on the couch.

Akali curses under her breath as a blue shell hits its mark and several characters zoom past her. “I’m just saying, you’re not subtle. Just frickin’ tell her you’re into her already.”

Ahri’s ears flatten towards her head and she frowns. “Says the one who had to practically be _propositioned_ to realize Evelynn was into her.”

“That’s different,” Akali hums, not looking up from the screen. “Evelynn’s harder to read.”

“Is it?” Ahri raises an eyebrow, tail lightly swishing side to side on the couch-cushion. “Because it feels to me like you’re throwing stones in a glass house.”

“And it feels to me like you’re dodging the question.” Akali knocks another character off the map before taking the lead again. “Just because _I_ was stupid doesn’t mean you have to be too.”

“I’m not stupid.” 

Akali glances over briefly, unimpressed. “If you’re not stupid, you don’t have fucking eyes—Kai’Sa’s into you, Ahri, like _bigtime._ ” 

“She’s never said anything of the sort,” Ahri counters, but it’s a feeble excuse, at best, and one Akali’s not afraid to tear apart.

“She doesn’t need to. Her body language does it for her.” Akali shrugs and turns her attention back towards MarioKart, just in time to deftly dodge a green shell. “She watched your tits like a TV during dance practice, dude, she might as well have been screaming _‘I think you’re hot.’”_

Ahri glares. “Kai watches us all closely, Akali, don’t exaggerate. She’s just a perfectionist when it comes to her craft.”

“She doesn’t eye anyone the same way she looks at you, don’t pull that shit. You could rob a bank and bomb a city and Kai’Sa would still look at you like you hung the moon in the sky.” Quickly sending her character across the finish line for first place, Akali pauses the game and turns around. “You’re just wussing out. You’re scared. Playing chicken, if you will.”

“Of course I am,” Ahri hisses, “I don’t want to ruin everything right after we just started. I’m not going to risk that, I’m not a fool. Do you _want_ K/DA to fall apart right after our debut?”

“Who says that we will?” Akali raises an eyebrow. “I had always thought the same stuff about Evelynn, and now she helps me write lyrics after we trade tongues. You don’t know what you’re missing out on.”

“I do, actually,” Ahri admits. It’s been a long, long time since she dated anyone seriously, but she’s well aware of the perks that come with having someone always in your corner.

Akali frowns. “Then you know damn well why it’s better to take a few risks than to pussy out. C’mon, foxface, aren’t you, like, ancient or something? You’d think you’d know this by now—shit happens. Live while you can.” 

“I am living.” Ahri says it with conviction, but the words come out hollow. Akali, with all the subtlety of a bulldozer, smashes right through them.

“No you’re not. You’re alive, but with the way you’re making yourself miserable all the time, it sure as hell isn’t living.” Running a hand across her face, Akali sighs and shakes her head. “For fuck’s sake, if you don’t take action soon, I will, because watching you two tiptoe around each other is just _painful._ ”

Ahri narrows her eyes, and the fur on her tail fluffs up slightly. “Do that and I’ll murder you.”

“You won’t, because you know I’m right,” Akali counters, calling Ahri’s bluff. “And even if I wasn’t, Evelynn would stop you before you could lay a single claw on me.” She shrugs. “Either you do something about your hopeless pining, or I will. You can’t stop me.”

Ahri doesn’t dignify that with a response. Instead, she gets up, sets her phone aside, and reaches for a second controller.

“Scoot over,” she hisses. “I’m going to kick your ass, since you seem to think it’s such a great idea to disrespect your elders.”

Akali’s lips curl into a smug grin. “Oh, are you now?”

“Definitely. Evelynn’s been a horrible influence on you. I miss the days you thought I was cool,” Ahri says, as she turns the controller on. It may have been a while—and a few editions—since she’d last played this game, but she’s still confident she can pull it off. “Dibs on Princess Peach, by the way.”

Akali goes back to the main menu. “Take her if you want, it won’t help you win. You’re going down, Old Yeller.”

“Keep crying, infant.”

* * *

A knock at her office door grabs Ahri’s attention.

Akali opens the door and pokes her head in. “Yo, Ahri? You free to chat for a few?”

Ahri glances up from her laptop. “Depends, is this for work talk or did you get stuck on another DOOM level?”

“Work talk, for once. I beat DOOM last night.” When Ahri raises an eyebrow, Akali huffs. “I know you don’t think I’m great at your boomer games, but once I get used to them, I’m pretty damn good.”

Ahri looks back down at her laptop and nods her head towards the other side of the desk. “Then yes, I’m free. Just give me one minute to finish this email.”

Akali takes the invitation that it is and makes herself at home on one of the chairs on the other side of Ahri’s desk, slouching back and bringing her arms loosely across her chest. 

Quickly finishing her email, Ahri shuts her laptop with a small click.

“Hit me with it,” she says, noticing the impatient tap of Akali’s foot on the floor.

“Yasuo wants to collab with me. I agreed, but I figured I could take things farther—get more people in on it, some fresh faces. I wanna push boundaries, take names, y’know, the whole shebang. I figured now’d be the best time for a side project, given that the POP/STARS hype has died down a little bit.” Akali shrugs. “Problem is, I don’t know jack about how to put a group together. I figured you’d know where to start, given everything.”

“Definitely, of course. I’d be happy to help.” Ahri starts, before pausing and thinking through what she knows about Yasuo—which admittedly isn’t much. The man is horribly reclusive, but his legal team is well-known for being fantastic at keeping things airtight. “I’m assuming Yasuo’s dealing with a lot of the contract work?”

“Yeah,” Akali nods. “All that shit is _way_ over my head. But I’ve got a vision, I’ve got the funds, and I’ve got the connections.”

“That’s all you need to make it work,” Ahri says, with an approving nod. “Well—that and a decent amount of elbow grease. I’m assuming you’ve already got some folks in mind for what you want to do? If you do, that’ll make things a hell of a lot easier.”

“Oh, definitely.” Akali grins. “I was thinking we could get Senna, Qiyana, and this dude I follow online named Ekko. I still need to get his contact information, but I don’t see any reason why he’d say no.”

“That’s quite the lineup.” Ahri’s tail lightly swishes back and forth, and she brings a hand up to scratch at her chin. “You sure you want that many people? The more folks you get involved, the harder things get to manage.”

“I’m not worried about that,” Akali says, waving her hand dismissively. “You know me, if I’m gonna go for it, it’s go big or go home. I’ve even got a name down for this whole thing. Yasuo approved of it, too.”

“Oh?” Ahri’s ears tilt forward slightly, curious. “And that is?”

“True Damage,” Akali says, and the grin that curls its way across her lips is infectious. “because we’re gonna blow everyone’s minds.”

“True Damage,” Ahri echoes, with a small hum. “It sounds very you. I like it.”

“Thanks, boss. I’ll make sure to blow your mind too.” Akali winks.

“I look forward to it.” Ahri laughs and taps her fingers along the desk. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”

* * *

Akali is quite adamant about going out for lunch before she leaves for Paris. Ahri can’t say she quite understands _why_ going out for ramen and arcade games is so important, but Akali insists on it, and it doesn’t leave her much room to argue. They haven’t seen each other quite as much recently, and truthfully Ahri _has_ been a bit of a workaholic as well, so it’s a welcome excuse to clear a few hours in her schedule for a little well-earned fun.

Only problem is, when Ahri finally gets to the little hole in the wall ramen joint Akali prefers—albeit a few minutes late due to bad traffic—she’s nowhere to be found.

It’s not that unusual for Akali to be late to things, but she’s usually quick to communicate, even if she does get a bit sidetracked sometimes. Ahri checks her phone on the off-chance she had missed a call or a text, but she didn’t. Her notifications are empty. 

Something’s off. It’s a feeling that’s only confirmed when she hears a very familiar voice that is most definitely _not_ Akali’s. 

“I hadn’t realized Akali invited you as well, Ahri.”

Ahri swears her heart stops, and the words Akali had said before echo in her head.

_“Either you do something about your hopeless pining, or I will. You can’t stop me.”_

Akali had never once planned to show up at all. It was a setup from the start. Fuck.

“She didn’t tell me anyone else was coming, either,” Ahri says, tone deceptively neutral, turning around with a smile a bit too wide to be entirely genuine. “I didn’t realize you were in town again, Kai. Lovely to see you.”

It’s warm out for November, and Kai’Sa looks decidedly at home in jeans and a sweater. Somehow, Kai’Sa manages to almost effortlessly make herself look good in anything. 

“Same to you. I was stopping in for a few days before I headed off again, and Akali insisted on some one-on-one girl time before she leaves for Paris.” Kai’Sa brings a hand up to her chin and frowns slightly. “Although I’m starting to suspect she might have lied about the one-on-one part.”

 _She didn’t lie,_ Ahri almost wants to say, _she just didn’t plan on the one-on-one time involving her._

“Seems like it,” Ahri agrees, with a slight frown, before shrugging. “Since we’re already here, do you still maybe want to grab some food?” She checks her phone again, just in case. Still nothing. “I don’t think Akali’s coming, she would have likely texted if she were on her way.”

“Probably not,“ Kai’Sa agrees. “We _are_ already here, so I don’t see any reason not to get something to eat. I’m pretty hungry.”

“Same. I never ate breakfast, so I could definitely eat.”

Kai’Sa’s eyes narrow slightly at that. “Let’s go grab a seat and order. You’re eating.” With the way Kai’Sa says the words, she is _telling_ , not asking. 

“Of course.” Ahri pulls the door open with a smile. “After you.”

Ahri’s well aware she’s playing right into Akali’s plan, but at this point, it’s hard not to without making a scene. She’ll just have to get her back for this later, sneaky bitch. 

Ahri’s phone buzzes in her pocket on her way in. A quick glance at the screen makes her want to throw it.

_omw to paris now, bro, i mayhaps have lied abt when i was leaving. bon mf appetit!! u 2 have fun and i expect to be best girl at ur wedding ;) qiyana says hi btw and she wants deets LMFAO_

Ahri chooses to instead turn it off and shove it back in her pocket. When she looks back up, Kai’Sa watches her with a curious expression.

“That was Akali,” she explains. “I was right. She’s not coming.”

“Her loss,” Kai’Sa says, glancing over the oversized menu near the front entrance. “It says here they’ve got a special on her favorite kind today.”

* * *

Lunch is quiet, the white noise of other patrons occasionally interrupted by small talk. Kai’Sa tells her about her recent trip to Spain, and Ahri shares pictures of works in progress from her newest clothing line over pork and miso. It’s somehow both intimate and not at the same time, and by the end of it, Ahri’s a hair away from asking her to stay, to cancel her flight to New York, but eventually decides to hold her tongue.

They part with a hug and a promise to get together as soon as Kai’Sa gets back. 

Kai’Sa texts her on the plane. Ahri sends back an obscene amount of heart emojis on her messages, and Kai’Sa sends them back. Ahri tries not to read too far into it, but sometimes she can’t help it. Every time her phone rings with that little trill of chimes that means a message from Kai’Sa, she just about drops everything to read it.

Kai’Sa sends her pictures and videos—panorama shots of the studio she stays a while at, video clips of students she’s giving a seminar to later, pictures of takeout and street food and anything and everything one can think of. Ahri returns the favor with impromptu selfies and pictures of her lunch, to which Kai’Sa always sends responses loaded with smiling emojis and “a good job for remembering to eat today.” Some part of Ahri finds herself basking in the praise far more than she arguably should.

Their texts soon become a routine, something constant, grounding. It’s not that they hadn’t texted before—god knows everyone in K/DA sends each other things a few times a week, but this is something new, uncharted territory. With every message, Ahri finds herself wandering a little deeper into it.

It’s half the reason she offers to pick Kai’Sa up from the airport. Kai’Sa accepts, and a few days later, Ahri finds herself waiting in a hat and sunglasses outside airport security—because for some godforsaken reason, Kai’Sa had insisted on flying commercial instead of taking a private plane—tail hidden by a layer of magic. 

Kai’Sa’s easy to spot, the top of a long black ponytail sticking out among the crowd. (She’d ditched the purple recently in favor of going back to all-natural color, and Ahri can’t say she doesn’t like it.)

Ahri waves, and when she catches Kai’Sa’s attention, she’s met with a smile, before Kai’Sa quickly speeds up her approach with open arms. Ahri swears she all but falls right into them for a hug.

“Welcome back,” Ahri says, chin pressed into Kai'Sa's shoulder. “I missed you.”

Kai’Sa’s arms tighten slightly around her back. “Thanks. It’s good to be home.”

Ahri’s heartbeat speeds more than Evelynn on the freeway as they part. 

There’s a brief pause before Kai’Sa speaks up again. “I haven’t eaten anything in like five hours, would you mind if we grabbed some food on the way home?”

“Of course,” Ahri says. “Call it a date.”

The words slip out of her mouth before she can stop herself, and the blood in her veins turns to ice as she realizes her mistake. 

Kai’Sa promptly melts it again with her response.

“A date it is then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akali says "on god bro imma get you that girlfriend" and she means it. :^)


	4. ALL OUT Era

Ahri is clingy in the morning. It’s something Kai’Sa seems to have to adjust to at first, but eventually she gets quite good at prying Ahri’s arms off of her.

It doesn’t mean Ahri stops trying, though. 

The ringing of the alarm startles Ahri awake, shrill and loud. It’s quieter than most people’s (as Kai’Sa knows Ahri’s hearing is sensitive), but it’s still more than enough to wake anyone up.

Kai’Sa shifts, and Ahri tightens her arms around her torso with a small groan.

“Don’t go,” she says, soft, half-asleep, more of a mumble than a statement. “I’ll get cold.”

“You need to get up too,” Kai’Sa says, as she manages to slip an arm out of Ahri’s embrace and reaches over to the nightstand to grab her phone. A click of a button and the alarm shuts off, leaving the room in blissful silence. “We have appointments.”

“Mmm,” Ahri hums, tail wrapping around Kai’Sa’s middle almost posessively, “we could always reschedule.”

“You say that every morning,” Kai’Sa says, setting her phone back down and shifting to face Ahri. Gently pushing a frizzy bit of blonde off of Ahri’s cheek, Kai’Sa chuckles. “If you ever actually followed through with it, we’d never get anything done.”

“Would that really be so bad?” Ahri asks, cracking an eye open. “Being one-hit wonders?”

“Are you even listening to yourself?” Kai’Sa chuckles. “Try repeating that in a few hours and you’d slap yourself.”

“Not if I don’t ever get out of bed,” Ahri counters, with a deep breath. 

“C’mon.” Kai’Sa sits up, and Ahri’s arms fall onto the sheets as Kai’Sa gently pries them away. “I’ll make you bacon.”

Ahri’s eyes snap open, ears perking up. “With the maple syrup on it?”

Kai’Sa chuckles. “Sure, if we have any left. I’m pretty sure Akali used a lot of it on her french toast sticks the past few days.”

Ahri hums, slowly pushing herself up into a sitting position. “I think there’s a few extra bottles in the pantry somewhere.”

“Then yes, maple bacon it is. Any other requests?”

Ahri takes a moment to stretch before she answers. “Cheesy eggs?” 

“Sure. And some fruit of your choice. Non-negotiable,” Kai’Sa adds, after a pause. 

Ahri pouts. “Come on, I don’t need to have it with every single meal.”

“Fruit is good for you,” Kai’Sa counters, walking around to press a kiss on Ahri’s cheek as she makes her way towards the closet. “Good nutrition is especially important for older women. If you don’t pick one, I’m cutting up some pears. They should be easy on your teeth.”

Ahri gets up, putting her hands on her hips. “Hey, I thought we agreed to save the senior citizen jokes for Eve!” 

“That agreement only counts if we’re on time today, and at the rate you’re going, we won’t be,” Kai’Sa calls back. “Come get dressed.”

Ahri huffs. “Yeah, yeah, _mom_ , don’t you worry, I won’t be late for school.” 

“Oh, so you go to school, now, do you?” Kai’Sa raises an eyebrow. “Do you need me to pack you a lunch?”

Ahri ignores the jab, instead focusing on the offer for food. “No school, but I wouldn’t say no to a packed lunch.”

Kai’Sa laughs. “I figured you’d say that.”

* * *

Progress on ALL OUT has been stagnant at best recently, and Ahri won’t lie, the original direction she had planned to take her song just isn’t sitting right.

Akali has a few bars set in stone, Kai’Sa has a beat ready, and Evelynn practically already has hers written, and then there’s her—stuck.

The bad bitch vibe is more Evelynn’s thing, and hell, in a more lighthearted way, it’s also Akali’s. Bubblegum and cutesy is something she had already tried—and hated, so that’s off the table as well. Kai’Sa has her niche with her dance and to some extent Ahri has her own with her fashion, but she doesn’t really know how she’d translate that to music, and it’s aggravating.

“You need to stop trying to force it,” Kai’Sa says, one night, looking over Ahri’s shoulder as she looks through a photo album on her lap.

“I know,” Ahri says, flipping the page. “It’s just hard not to. You and Eve and Akali all have a start on things and I’ve got _nothing._ What kind of leader am I if I can’t even keep up with you?”

Ahri goes to flip the page again, but Kai’Sa places a hand on top of it to stop her. Ahri looks up, confused.

“One who is managing a new product line on top of everything, is overworking herself, and is doing _just fine_ comparatively.” Kai’Sa’s tone is reassuring but firm as she takes a seat next to Ahri. “You’ve got plenty of time. We all agreed we weren’t going to rush this, to take time for ourselves. We can wait years if you need it.”

“I shouldn’t need it, Kai, that’s the thing. I should already have a freaking hook to it, a beat, a chorus,” Ahri pauses and lets out a frustrated sigh, “I don’t know— _something._ I should have something by now.”

“It’s okay that you don’t,” Kai’Sa’s hand lifts off the photobook and reaches for Ahri’s, intertwining their fingers and giving her hand a squeeze. “We have time, and you can start fresh and give it another go tomorrow morning.”

Ahri frowns. “You said that yesterday.”

“And I’ll say it again tomorrow,” Kai’Sa says. “This album isn’t going anywhere without you. It can wait, and so will we.”

It’s clear Kai’Sa won’t be changing her mind, so Ahri relents. 

“Okay.” Ahri gives Kai’Sa’s hand a squeeze before letting go, moving across the plastic of the photo album before stopping on a picture. 

Kai’Sa’s eyes follow Ahri’s fingers before she looks at the picture and smiles. “That’s the night you picked me up from the airport.”

“Yeah,” Ahri says, a small, fond smile creeping its way up her lips as her hand moves to brush over the photo next to it. “And here’s us at the park with our fried chicken.”

“I remember you hogged the wings,” Kai’Sa hums. “The stars were really pretty that night.”

Ahri turns to place a small, chaste kiss on Kai’Sa’s cheek. “Not as pretty as you were. Still are, actually.”

“Stop flattering me,” Kai’Sa says, but the slight upturn of her lips betrays her.

Ahri’s grin widens, slightly mischievous. “Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do if I don’t, gorgeous?”

A hand reaches for her wrist and pulls Ahri to her feet, and the photobook falls to the floor, forgotten. Kai’Sa’s smile is blinding, like the sun added to every lightbulb on Earth.

“Let me show you,” comes the answer, over giggles.

* * *

Seraphine is… very excitable.

Ahri had known that there’d definitely be a bit of idol-worshipping when she made that phone call, but she’s pretty sure the kid damn near dropped her phone the first time she called and she had announced who she was. 

She supposes she should have known what she was in for when they video called for the first time and Seraphine’s wall was covered in her own face. Like—covered covered. There were a few True Damage posters as well, and some esports merch, but right smack dab in the middle of the wall in all her 2018 glory was Ahri.

The first time they meet in person, Seraphine can hardly stand still, practically bouncing around on the balls of her feet.

“Oh my god, it’s so nice to finally meet you, it’s such an honor!” She says, grabbing Ahri’s hand. “I’ve looked up to you for such a long time, Ahri—can I call you Ahri?—you’re just such an inspiration. Even in your pop-star days you always had such a loud stage presence and I would always watch the clips they uploaded online and—” 

Ahri holds her free hand up. “Slow down. You’re going to run out of air if you keep going that fast.”

Seraphine quickly drops Ahri’s hand. “Oh no, I’m so sorry. I just met you and I already started running my mouth.”

“You’re fine.” Ahri assures her. “Akali did the same thing, back in the day.”

If this were a cartoon, Ahri swears Seraphine’s eyes would have turned into stars with the way she instantly perks up again.

“Wait, really? That’s so cool!” 

Ahri is very old, and while she has many skills in her repertoire, mind reading is not one of them. It’s not one she needs, though, to tell what’s on Seraphine's mind. Ahri figures it goes a little something like _oh my god, I’m just like her!_

Ahri smiles. “Akali’s actually in the other room working on writing her solo, if you want to go chat. I’m sure you two would get along great. She loves your stuff.”

“Really?” Seraphine hesitates.

“Really. Go for it.” 

With the reassurance that she’s fine, Seraphine speeds off, almost running into Kai’Sa on her way out. It’s extremely lucky that she doesn’t, as Kai’Sa holds two steaming mugs of coffee in her hands.

“Oh my god it’s Kai’Sa! Hi, I’m so thrilled to meet you in person, it’s such an honor! Your choreo is really genius stuff, absolutely incredible,” she says, stopping for a moment before remembering what she was doing and continuing on her way with a wave over her shoulder. “I’m gonna go talk to Akali, bye-bye, real nice to see you!”

Ahri lets out a deep breath. She almost feels bad for using Akali as a distraction, but she needs a short break.

“It’s cute,” Kai’Sa says, with a nod towards the doorway, “the way she looks like she wants to follow you around like a lost puppy.”

“I disagree.” Ahri shakes her head. “She looks at me like a kid would a puppy on Christmas morning. All her dreams come to life. She’s not lost, she’s just excited.”

Kai’Sa passes over a mug of coffee, which Ahri takes gratefully.

“Oh, so you’re saying you’re a puppy now?” Kai’Sa says, glancing over with a raised eyebrow and a fond smile. “I suppose I can see it. Evelynn _did_ say I had a thing for taking in stray dogs.”

“Oh, did she now?” Ahri frowns. 

“Her words, not mine.” She shrugs. “I personally think it went the other way around.” 

Ahri takes a sip of her coffee and hums. 

“I think it was about even, actually.”

* * *

Kai’Sa is surprisingly good with cats, Ahri finds. Either that, or Ahri’s just extremely bad with them, considering the way most of them seem to take one or two cautious sniffs at her fingers and run off.

(Part of her knows it’s simply because cats are smart, and they can sense that she lies somewhere in that unholy area between man and monster. The other part of her thinks that they’re just stuck-up little bastards.)

Bao is a sweet thing, extremely good-natured for a feline, but even he seems disdainful at best around Ahri. It’s funny, actually, the way he takes so easily to Evelynn, rubbing his head into her hands and begging for attention, when he glares at Ahri and swipes at her hand when she so much tries to reach over to scratch behind his ears. 

It’s a stark contrast to his owner, who all but follows Ahri around, wide-eyed and trusting, with a cheery laugh and so much innocence. Evelynn gets a bit of the idol treatment too, of course, but it’s far more muted. She’s pretty sure Seraphine finds her to be a bit intimidating. It’s not an unfair opinion—if Ahri were the human embodiment of cotton candy, she’d be scared of Evelynn too.

(It’s ironic, when considering the fact that Seraphine was technically Evelynn’s find. She doesn’t know that, though, and Ahri suspects that she never will.)

“Don’t worry about Bao,” says Seraphine, holding said little furry offender in her arms. Ahri swears he gives her the cat equivalent of a smile from Seraphine’s lap. “He’s just a little stinker sometimes. He didn’t like my dad at first either, he’ll come around eventually, I swear.”

Ahri very much doubts that, but she doesn’t say it. The cat won’t be going to Shanghai with them, so it doesn’t matter what he thinks of her anyways.

“I’m sure he will,” Ahri lies.

Evelynn sends Ahri a smug glance from across the room, knowing just as well as Ahri does that won’t be happening. Ahri flips her the bird while nobody else is looking.

“It’s kinda weird, actually,” Akali points out, reaching over and scratching under Bao’s chin. “He’s such a nice little dude, I don’t get why he doesn’t like you.”

Kai’Sa hums. “Cats don’t make sense sometimes.”

“True,” Akali agrees. 

Bao wiggles his way out of Seraphine’s arms to go wander his way over towards Kai’Sa. Much to Ahri’s annoyance, he stays on her lap almost the whole time as they go over the next few weeks' itinerary, and when he finally gets up again, she’s covered in cat hair.

As soon as they’re alone, Ahri corners Kai’Sa with the lint roller.

Kai’Sa raises an eyebrow. “What’s got you so worked up?”

“Nothing,” Ahri huffs, getting to work. “You’re just slathered in cat hair. Figured I’d help you clean up a bit.”

“You don’t normally get this worked up when I get covered in fur.” Kai’Sa gives Ahri an appraising glance, before she pauses, coming to a realization. “Ahri, are you jealous of the cat?”

“No,” Ahri huffs, ignoring Kai’Sa’s question and running the lint roller down Kai’Sa’s thighs just a slight bit harder. “It’s just different when it’s my hair.”

“You _are_ jealous,” Kai’Sa says, a slight smile creeping across her face. “I’ve never seen you like this.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Ahri pauses for a moment to tear a sheet off the roll and set it aside. “White hair just shows on black leggings.”

“I can promise you I won’t be ditching you for a cat,” Kai’Sa says, with a chuckle.

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” Ahri says, shaking her head. “If I let him cover your clothes like that, he _wins._ ”

“Ah.” Kai’Sa nods in understanding. “I see now. You’re not jealous of sir furry purry, he just challenged you for your throne.”

“Exactly,” Ahri agrees. “I’m the queen of shedding all over you, Kai-Kai, and I’m not getting that title stolen from me by a _cat._ ”

Kai’Sa laughs. “No offense, Ahri, but I’m not sure he’d be able to top you even if he tried. In fur mass alone, you beat him nine-to-one.”

“Don’t care, I’m not risking it.”

* * *

Shanghai comes and goes in a blur of bright lights and cheers and performances. Seraphine takes her leave after with well wishes and big dreams, off to explore new horizons. 

Akali and Evelynn take some time off for a celebratory road trip and even though the house is decidedly quieter without them, Ahri can’t say she isn’t enjoying the alone time. It’s certainly nice not to get woken up by clanking and revving engines before eight in the morning. It’s far nicer, she finds, to wake up to a kiss on the forehead and a soft “good morning.”

“Mmm… what time is it?” Ahri lazily opens her eyes. Rays of sun peeking through the window tell her that it’s at least not ungodly early, but knowing Kai’Sa, it’s still probably earlier than Ahri would have otherwise gotten up.

“A little after eight thirty,” comes Kai’Sa’s answer. “You can sleep in if you want, I just want to get up and go to the gym for a bit.”

 _“Nooo…_ ” Ahri groans. “Stay.” Ahri reaches out and grabs Kai’Sa’s wrist as she sits up, tugging. “The gym can wait.”

“Ahri.” Kai’Sa warns. “No.”

“Ahri _yes,_ ” Ahri says, tail wrapping around Kai’Sa’s torso. “Come back.”

“I’m getting up,” Kai’Sa says, “and I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Can’t you just work out here?” Ahri asks, pouting. 

Kai’Sa raises an eyebrow and gently uncurls Ahri’s tail from around her waist. “I’m not even leaving the house.”

“No,” Ahri says, and her tail thwaps on the sheets. “But you’re leaving the room.”

“So you expect me to work out without any equipment, then?” Kai’Sa asks. 

“You don’t need equipment,” Ahri says, with a knowing smile, slowly letting go of Kai’Sa’s wrist. “You can dance just fine right here. There’s plenty of floor space.”

“Oh, so you want a show, is that it?”

“Of course. I want front row seats, too.” Ahri smiles, only half apologetic. “I’m a greedy girl, what can I say?”

Kai’Sa takes a moment to think as she throws her hair up into a loose ponytail. “Usually front row seats don’t come cheap,” she says, “How do you plan to pay for them?”

“Mmm,” Ahri says, purring slightly and stretching. “I’m sure I can think of something later. I’m a bit tired right now. I have an excellent credit score, does Kai’Sa’s theater accept IOU’s?”

“From most people? No.”

“And from me?” Ahri prods. “I’m sure I could make it worth your while. Perhaps a movie night?”

“We had a movie night two days ago,” Kai’Sa says, disinterested. “What else do you have to offer?”

Ahri pouts, ears drooping slightly. “You don’t like my movie nights?”

“I love you dearly, but I can only handle so many Naruto movies at a time. No offense to you and Akali, but they really aren’t my thing.”

Ahri frowns. “What if you pick the movie? Anything you want.”

“Even my _shitty Hallmark movies?_ ” Kai’Sa challenges, calling Ahri’s bluff.

Ahri visibly cringes at the idea. “If that’s what it takes, then yes. Even those.”

“I’ll think about it,” Kai’Sa says, after thinking it over. “For now, I’m going to go work out.”

“Movie night _and_ something else. Your choice,” Ahri offers. “Take it or leave it.”

“I think I’ll leave it,” Kai’Sa responds, getting up. 

“You weren’t supposed to do that,” Ahri huffs, getting to her feet.

“Oh yeah?” Kai’Sa says. “I suppose I’ll just have to take the deal then.”

“ _Yesss, give in,”_ Ahri hisses, throwing herself at Kai’Sa for a hug. 

“I do have one condition, though.” Kai’Sa’s expression turns mischievous, and the arms around Ahri’s torso tighten before she’s suddenly lifted off the ground and over Kai’Sa’s shoulder.

Ahri squeals.

“I need some weights to lift if I’m going to stay here. I think you’ll need to help me out.”

A laugh. “I think I can do that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, folks, that's a wrap. I went into this fic w/the goal of showing Ahri's journey from the beginning—from miserable and unsure and doubting herself, to confident and happy and incredibly in love. I had aimed for about 10k, but ended up going over. Oops. I've been blown l away at how supportive everyone is, and I'd like to give a HUGE resounding thank you for all of it. 
> 
> Still don't fully understand Sera's character but this is good enough for me this ain't about her this is Kahri city sooo... Sorry for any typos there were a lot more than usual when editing so I may have missed a few :( 
> 
> Anyways stan kahri byeeee

**Author's Note:**

> For snippets, updates on what I'm working on, and a shit ton of art retweets, feel free to check out my [twitter.](https://twitter.com/UmbreonGurl)
> 
> Please check out the lovely [fanart by @aurawra21 on twitter!](https://twitter.com/aurawra21/status/1337444603033694208?s=21)


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